Photo: Lie Sang Bong

Over the next week, Seoul-based journalist Michael Reyes will be tapping us into the most important Korean designers. An affinity for marrying distinctly Korean aesthetics with a sharp mastery of technical skill, the label that bares the designer’s name shatters the enigma of Korean creativity. Lie Sang Bong is arguably the most internationally recognized Korean designer and his influences range from Korean art, pottery, calligraphy, the peninsula’s breathtaking scenery and cultural treasures; notably its remarkable written system “Hangeul.”

Western elements derived from cubism and Bauhaus reflect Lie Sang Bong’s layered brilliance of quality artistic integrity of design. Lie’s ready to wear collections are appealing for the refined pairing of architectural silhouettes with refreshing feminine forms. Voluminous, geometric shapes illustrate the unique vision of weaving understated Asian sensibilities with unmistakably Occidental personality. The dramatic and poetic designs are a reflection of Lie’s theatre and drama studies at Seoul Art Institute, and his shift to fashion with the guidance of The Kookje Fashion Academy in Seoul. The sale of his apartment in 1993 pushed his new label onto the catwalks of Seoul Fashion Week where his designs were an immediate success under the country’s scrutinizing gaze.

Debuting in Paris Fashion Week more than a decade ago, Lie Sang Bong’s collections have been magnetic. Often compared to celebrated Western avante-garde designers the label has seen its designs swiped by the hippest and most original contemporary Western artists and celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Beth Ditto, and Rihanna. The S/S 11 collection’s direction is reminiscent of the eccentric characters in Alejandro Jodorowsky’s film Santa Sangre with images of birds allegorically revealing the theme of freedom. This season, Lie Sang Bong focuses on a strong geometric and graphic silhouette which also involves illustrations and the use of trompe l’oeil coupled with feather motif appliqué to create an animated, fluid sense. Embroidered hints accentuate organic silk, linens and cotton fabrics exploring symmetric and asymmetric shapes. These add to the structured designs while adding crisp feminine silhouettes to the shape and overall energy of this season’s looks. The primary color palettes are natural shades of sand, nudes, and whites with striking splashes of vivid orange, and reds interspersed with illustrative graphic prints. This collection is one that channels the elements of a fiercely bold modern woman who has an acute sense of art, and can decide how to subdue or accentuate the bold elegance of the collection; anything but demure.